The Rapture

Confusion is rampant and confusion creates cross-eyed views of the Cross. 
Rapture?
The concept, one of modernity's most muddled myths, comes to us courtesy of the 19th century.  A quick search across multiple websites reveals that the "Rapture" was never taught in Christianity until the 1830s.  The New Testament is 1,900 years old and for all of those years until 1830 "the Rapture" was never discussed, let alone taught.

Here's what you have to believe in order to say "the Rapture" is truth based on Scripture:  1.  All of the churches, around the globe never correctly understood the message of Christ and the final end times.  2.  All of the church fathers, from Tertullian who described the Trinity, to St. Augustine who taught that man's will is not free from God's will, to Martin Luther and the reforms of John Calvin in the 1500s missed such a great truth. and,  3.  There was something ultra-special, ultra-holy about Margaret Macdonald who formulated this doctrine from Scotland.

So, let's just accept the 3 to be true, (which they are not, but for sake of argument) and look to scripture, "sola scriptura" alone to test this myth.  Knowing the human ability to twist anything to their own purpose, (most frequently called "rationalizations", and I am rather good at them myself...) look at Revelations 3:10.  A first reading alone is sufficient to declare the formulaters of "the Rapture" have made quite a leap asserting that Christ will save his own from a tribulation.  Imagine, written to a 1st century group of believers being told not to worry, you yourselves will be "Raptured" from the thermo-nuclear holocaust of the 21st Century.

Silly isn't it?

Then there's Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not destined us for^(A) wrath, but^(B) to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." (ESV)   That verse hardly talks about us flying with the Lord to escape "The Tribulation".  It's such a leap, that it's not really worth discussing is it?  Substitute the word "hell" for "wrath" and the point becomes clear!

Thessalonians 2:6-7 ??  Those verses are as muddled as the others in demonstrating that Christ's return is in two parts as the believers in "the Rapture" assert.  "
⁶And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. ⁷For^(A) the mystery of lawlessness^(B) is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way." (ESV)  One has to stare at that verse a very long time to find a "Rapture".  Indeed 6 verses later in verse 13 the writer tells us that we are to be saved as first fruits, through sanctification, and nowhere does the writer equate sanctification with "flying through the air."

So the question becomes, how does a Christian handle or treat one who believes Christ is King, but also believes their salvation is up to them, and that they are going to be "Raptured" ? 

1.  We are to love them.  2.  Love doesn't mean agreeing.  and 3.  We should not allow false doctrines as these be taught in our homes.  We cannot persuade.  Pride kicks in, and the reluctant believer will cling to their myth, not unlike children cling to beliefs in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.  We can respond out of fear, fear that someone is going to believe a lie, fear that one is going to perpetuate false beliefs, and our fear will come through, OR we can respond out of love.  A soft word will turn away wrath.....

Rapture?  Non-sense. 
Free to choose our own salvation?  Heretical
Our Response?  One of Love.

Peace!